Metallic clothespin or the like



y 1938. B. J. HARVEY" 2,116,238

METALLICIJLOTHESPIN OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 23, 1957 INVENTOR.

El; Ll HERVE? Patented May 3, 1938 PATENT ()FFICE METALLIC CLOTHESPIN on THE LIKE Bruce J. Harvey, Des Moines, Iowa Application August 23,

6 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a metallic clothespin that may be applied to clothes, or the like, for firmly holding them on the line without regard as to which end of the clothespin is grasped. More specifically, either end of my clothespin may be utilized to accomplish its result. V

A further object of this invention is to provide a spring metal Clothespin that successfully grips and holds the clothes on the line against a'c cidental detachment and that has no tendency to twist or become distorted.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a metallic clothespin that is free of projections, smooth in contour, that is easily applied, and that may be sterilized. or cleaned.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a metallic clothespin that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view of my device ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a side plan view of my device and more fully illustrates its construction.

Fig. 3 is a side plan view of my device in' use upon a clothes line or the like and inverted from Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end plan view of my clothespin and more fullyillustrates its construction.

There are a number of clothespins now on the market. The more common form is made of wood. These wooden clothespins have several disadvantages. They are not compact. They are easily broken. The grain in the wood raises when wet, causing serious damage to fine clothes such as silk garments and the like, and they may be placed in one and only one attitude for application to the clothesline. Several metallic clothespins are now in use, but these are of a complicated design, are apt to snag the clothes, are hard to handle, and they can only be applied to the line in one position. I have overcome such disadvantages as will be appreciated and as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that my device is formed of one length of wire or the like, and is bent to formation as follows:

The numeral iii designates a large U-shaped 1937, Serial No. 160,469

member having a small hump ll formed in one of its legs. Continuing from the small hump II is an integrally formed small U-shaped member l2. The wire then extends straight down the M center of the device forming a guide bar I3. I have used the numeral M to designate a second small U-shaped member formed on the end of the guide l3 oppositely disposed and to one side of the U-shaped member [2. i

The numeral l5 indicates a second large U- shaped member integrally formed on the small U-shaped member I4 and oppositely disposed and arranged from the large U-shaped member Iii as shown in the drawing. Formed on the innermost leg of the U-shaped member 45 is a small hump it. The free ends of the wire, forming my device, rest parallel to and adjacent the legs of the small U-shaped members and the opposing legs of the large U-shaped members as shown. The end portions of the U-shaped members l0 and I5 are bent at an angle in order to form guides. Similarly, the outer end of the U-shaped members l2 and i l are bent outwardly in an opposite direction to the U-shaped members ill and it as shown in Fig. 2. I have used the numeral I! to designate a clothesline or the like to which my device may be applied.

To put my device on the clothes and clothesline, it may be grasped by either end and merely manually forced downwardly as far as it will go as shown in Fig. 3. The clothes on the line are then yieldingly secured to the line. The bent out portions between the U-shaped member Ill and I4 and i2 and i5 will guide the pin onto the line in either of the pins positions respectively, and in one attitude the pin will come to rest on the clothes and clothesline when the line is received by the small hump H. The clothes and clothesline will then be under the guide I3 and between the outer leg of the small U-shaped member M and the free end of the U-shaped member ill. The pin is further prevented from slipping or settling by coming to rest against the bottom portion of the hump Iii as shown. It will'be noted that the humps H and it are so arranged that they are not in a horizontal line. The hump It being higher than the hump ll so that when the clothesline ll is grasped by the hump i it will hit the lower rear surface of the hump it, thus causing the clothespin to be in a vertical position relative to the line as shown in the drawing.

7 Referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that when the other end of the clothespin is grasped, namely the end containing the U-shaped members l and M, the pin is utilized in the same manner as though the other end were applied. The U-shaped members 12 and I then act as a guide, the rope or line I 1 is grasped within the hump l6 and rests against the outside of the hump II, extending under both legs of the U- shaped member l2 and the guide I3, and over the hump l6 and both of the free ends of the U- shaped members l0 and I5.

Thus it will be seen that my clothespin may be used in either attitude, specifically, it may be applied from either end. It firmly grasps the clothes, presents a smooth surface thereto, is sanitary and easily cleaned. My device has great strength and it is so constructed that it is highly efiicient in use. Furthermore, my device is practically unbreakable and both ends of the device may be used for clamping clothes or the like to a clothesline.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my improved metallic clothespin or the like without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a clothespin, a single strand of spring material bent into a top U-shaped member having its free side substantially straight, a hump in the other leg of said U-shaped member, a small U-shaped member formed adjacent said hump and oppositely disposed to said first mentioned U-shaped member, a guide rod extending from said second mentioned U-shaped member up the approximate center of said first mentioned U-shaped member, a third U-shaped member arranged within said first mentioned U- shaped member formed on the end of said guide member and having its other leg extending parallel and adjacent to the free end of said first mentioned U-shaped member, a second hump formed in said last mentioned leg of said third mentioned small U-shaped member, and a fourth U-shaped member continuing from said hump having its free end parallel with the inner leg of said first mentioned U-shaped member and oppositely disposed from said first mentioned U-shaped member; said first and said third mentioned U-shaped members having their end portions bent outwardly at an angle opposite to each other and said second and said fourth U-shaped members having their end portions bent outwardly opposite to each other.

2. In a clothespin, a single strand of spring material having a U-shaped member formed adjacent one of its ends, a second U-shaped member formed adjacent the other end of said single strand of spring material; said first and said second mentioned U-shaped member being disposed oppositely from each other and having their free ends resting adjacent and parallel the inner end of the opposite U-shaped member and in a normal position, a small hump formed in each of the inner legs of said first and said second U-shaped members respectively, a small U-shaped member formed on the inner leg of said first mentioned U-shaped member and oppositely disposed to said first mentioned U- shaped member, a second small U-shaped member formed on the end of said first mentioned small U-shaped member and oppositely disposed to said second mentioned U-shaped member; said first mentioned U-shaped member and said second mentioned small U-shaped member having their end portions bent outwardly at an angle opposite to each other and said second mentioned U-shaped member and said second mentioned small U-shaped member having their end portions bent outwardly at an angle to each other.

3. In a device of the class described, a clothespin formed from a single length of metallic spring material having a substantially straight end portion, a U-shaped bend on one end of said straight portion, a second small U-shaped bend on the other leg of said U-shaped bend, a sub stantially straight portion on the side of said second mentioned U-shaped bend, a third U-shaped bend on the other end of said mentioned substantially straight portion having its other leg resting parallel to and adjacent to said first mentioned substantially straight portion, a fourth U-shaped bend having its free end adjacent the portion between said first and said second mentioned U-shaped bends, a hump formed in the portion between said first and said second mentioned U-shaped bend, and a second hump formed in the portion between the said third mentioned and said fourth mentioned U- shaped bend and positioned vertically above said first mentioned hump.

4. In a clothespin, a single strand of spring material bent into a substantial S-shape near its central portion, a small hump in each opposite end of said S-shaped member, a U-shaped bend adjacent one end of said S-shaped member and having its other end resting parallel and adjacent the other leg of said S-shaped member, and a second U-shaped member formed on the other end of said substantially S-shaped member oppositely disposed to said first mentioned U-shaped member and having its free end resting parallel and adjacent to the other leg of said substantially S-shaped member.

5. In a device of the class described, a clothespin comprising, a single strand of spring metallic material having its central portion substantially S-shaped, a small hump in one leg of said substantially S-shaped portion, a small hump in the opposite leg of said substantially S-shaped portion positioned to one side of said first mentioned hump, a U-shaped member formed adjacent said first mentioned hump and having its free end resting parallel and adjacent the other leg of said substantially S-shaped portion, and a second U-shaped member formed adjacent said second mentioned hump having its free end extending adjacent and parallel to the first mentioned leg of said S-shaped member; said 8- shaped portion and said U-shaped member being in the same plane near the central portions and having their ends bent at an angle to the plane defined by the major portion of the clothespin.

6. In a device of the class described, a single strand of spring metallic material bent to form a U-shaped member adjacent one of its end portions, an oppositely disposed U-shaped member of the same substantial size as said first mentioned U-shaped member formed on the other end of said spring metallic material; said first and said second mentioned U-shaped members resting in the same horizontal plane oppositely disposed from each other and each having their side portions resting adjacent the side portions of the other U-shaped member; a small U- shaped member formed on the inner leg of each of said first mentioned U-shaped member; said small U-shaped members being oppositely disposed from each other and substantially horizontally S-shaped connecting each of the inner legs of said first and said second mentioned U- shaped member, and a small hump formed in each of the inner legs of said first and said second mentioned U-shaped member; each of said U-shaped members having their end portions bent at an angle outwardly and each 0! said small U-shaped members having end U- shaped portions bent oppositely to its respectively U-shaped portion.

BRUCE J. HARVEY. 

